🔐 HashGate Authentication System (Stage 1)

📝 Overview

The HashGate Authentication System is a secure, file-based user authentication program written in C++. It provides a simple yet effective way to manage user authentication with the following features:

• 🔑 User Login with SHA-256 hashed passwords.
• 👤 User Creation (requires root password verification).
• 🗑️ User Deletion (requires root password verification and confirmation).
• 🔒 Secure Root Password Setup on the first run.
• 🙈 Hidden Password Input for security during login and root password prompts.

This system ensures that user credentials are stored securely using hashing techniques and provides a basic but effective local authentication mechanism.

🚀 Note: This program is just a part of a bigger project I am working on. It serves as the front-end login system for a larger application currently under development.

🚀 Features

• SHA-256 Hashing: Ensures passwords are stored securely.
• Root Password Protection: Required for adding and deleting users.
• Hidden Password Input: Conceals passwords while typing.
• File-Based Storage: User credentials are stored safely in local files (users.dat and root.dat).

🛠️ How It Works

1. First Run Setup: The system prompts the user to set a root password (this cannot be changed later).
2. Users can:
   • 🔑 Login with a username and password.
   • ➕ Create a new user (requires root password verification).
   • 🗑️ Delete a user (requires root password verification and confirmation).
   • ❌ Exit the program.
3. Passwords are stored securely as SHA-256 hashes to prevent unauthorized access.

⚙️ Setup and Compilation

Requirements

• C++ compiler (e.g., g++ for Linux or MinGW for Windows)
• OpenSSL library for SHA-256 hashing

Compilation on Linux

 g++ authentication.cpp -o hashgate -lssl -lcrypto

Compilation on Windows (MinGW)

g++ authentication.cpp -o hashgate.exe -lssl -lcrypto

📌 Usage

1. Run the compiled executable:

   ./hashgate   # Linux
   hashgate.exe # Windows

2. First Run:
   • The program will prompt for a root password.
   • This password is required to create or delete users.
3. 🔑 Login:
   • Enter a valid username and password.
   • If correct, access is granted; otherwise, an error is shown.
4. ➕ Create a User:
   • Enter the root password.
   • Provide a new username and password.
5. 🗑️ Delete a User:
   • Enter the root password.
   • Provide the username to delete.
   • Confirm deletion.
6. ❌ Exit the program by selecting option 4.

🔒 Security Considerations

• Root Password Security: The root password is stored as a SHA-256 hash and cannot be changed after setup.
• User Passwords: Stored securely using SHA-256 hashing.
• File Storage:
  • root.dat: Contains the hashed root password.
  • users.dat: Stores user credentials in username:hashed_password format.

📜 License

This project is open-source and free to use under the MIT License.

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Contributions and suggestions are welcome! 🚀

🤝 Collaboration & Contributions

I am open to collaboration if you have great ideas to implement! Feel free to open issues, submit pull requests, or discuss enhancements. Let's make HashGate Authentication System even better together! 💡🔧